Attachment for car-trucks.



Patented Sept. 26, I899.

E. G. NICEWANER.

ATTACHMENT FOB CAR TRUCKS.

(Application filed Aug. 17, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Shut (No lludel.)

Fig. 2

WITNESSES: Z4 5 4k, 277 10 4.144

1 TTORNE V.

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No. 633,727. Patented Sept. 26, I899.

E. G. NICEWANER.

ATTACHMENT FOR GAR TRUCKS.

(Application filed Aug. 17, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

Fig. 5

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WITNESSES l TTOBNE Y.

Yns uonms mans ca. more-um UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ElllVlN G. NICElVANER, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR CAR-TRUCKS. 6

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,727, dated September 26, 1899. Application filed August 17, 1899. Serial No. 727,4:94. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN G. NIGEWANER, of Johnstown, in the county of Oambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Attachments for Car-Trucks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to an attachment for car trucks, and particularly for trucks of the class generally known as maximum-traction trucks. In this class of trucks, in which the centerof movement is brought up as closely as possible to the driving-axle in order to concentrate to a greater or less degree the weight or load upon such axle, the resulting increased distance of the rear wheels or trailers from the center of movement and the corresponding increase in radial movement thereof generally requires these wheels to be made of comparatively small diameter in order to permit them to out under the sills and steps of the car in turning sharp curves. This reduction in diameter of these wheels and the comparatively light weight which they carry give them a tendency, especially on curves, to climb the rails or jump the tracks. This is a well-known objection to trucks of this type, and various means have heretofore been provided to obviate it, but have for the most part and for various reasons proved undesirable or impracticable under the conditions of actual practice.

It is the object of the present invention to provide means of this character which can be readily applied to various types of this class of trucks for the purpose of overcoming the objection above described in a simple, efficient, and satisfactory manner; and with this object in view the invention consists, generally considered, in the provision of a spring seated upon the truck-frame adjacent to the trailer-wheels of the truck, in combination with means actuated by the radial movement of the truck in. either direction for putting said spring under compression to a degree corresponding to the degree of movement of the truck, and thereby oppose its action to the tendency of the wheels to climb or jump the rails.

The invention also includes means in connection with the means above generallystated for permitting automatic adjustment of the latter to compensate for changes in the relative positions of the car body and truck under various running conditions.

It also consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a car-truck and a portion of a car-bod y, illustrating the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the invention, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation.

In the drawings the letter A designates one of the large wheels of the truck mounted on the driving-axle, B one of the smaller or trailer wheels, and O a cross bar or brace of the truck-frame.

D is one of the cross-sills of the car-body, and E a portion of the car-floor.

F F designate two segment rack-plates, which are rigidly secured to the under side of the car-body at its central portion and are of a curvature corresponding to the radius of movement of that portion of the truck immediately beneath them.

G is a pinion which is rigidly secured on the upper end portion of a vertical rod or shaft G between the two rack-plates, the relative position of said plates to each other and to the pinion being such (see Fig. that under normal conditions the center line of the pinion coincides with the center of the first tooth on both racks, whereby as the pinion becomes operatively engaged with one rack it passes out of engagement with the opposing rack.

H is a stiff coiled spring which is seated in a pocket of the casing I, which in the present instance is shown as secured to the bar G of the truclcframe, with its vertical center 00- inciding with the center of the pinion G and rod or shaft G. j I

J is a nut or follower seated on the upper end of said spring and also on a threaded portion G of the rod or shaft G, being prevented from turning in the latter by means of lateral lugs or projections J, which engage vertical grooves 11 in the walls of the spring-pocket I.

In order to guard against any injury to the parts by reason of changes in the relative positions of the car body and truck due to variations in the height of the two track-rails or to lateral oscillations of the car-body, the casting which carries the spring-pocket is pivotally connected to the bar C by means of a stud or trunnion M, which extends loosely through a bearing in said b51112.

m is a washer, and m is a nut for securing the stud in its bearings.

M is a second and opposite trunnion ,having its bearings in a bracket M2, secured to the truck-frame. These,however,are mere details of construction, which may be changed at the pleasure of the designer and builder, it being essential only that means of proper character shall be provided to permit the rod or shaft G, with its pinion G, to automatically adjust itself to compensate for the relative movements of the car body and truck, as described. The upper end of the said rod or shaft is centered by means of a swiveled antifrictionwheel P, which runs in the groove of a channeled bearing-plate B, secured to the under side of the car-floor.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing. As the truck radiates under the car-body in either direction the pinion G is caused to engage with the corresponding rack-plate and, together with the rod or shaft G, is rotated thereby, moving the nut or follower J down against the spring and compressing the latter to a degree in proportion to the radial movement of the truck and opposing its resistance to the tendency of the trailer-wheels to leave the track. when the body and truck resume their normal relations, the pinion is rotated in the reverse direction and the spring gradually relieved of compression. Inasmuch as the two racks engage opposite sides of the pinion, the action is the same under radial movement of the truck in both directions. It will also be noted that the nut or follower J will readily adjust itself on the spring under different conditions of load.

By the means described I not only overcome in a satisfactory manner the objection noted at the outset, but I enable the diameter of the trailer-wheels to be considerably reduced, so as to work under a much lower car-body than. has heretofore been possible.

l/Vhile I have shown the, device applied in front of the trailer-wheels, it is obvious that it maybe applied over the axles thereof or to the rear thereof by providing the truck-frame with a proper brake or cross-bar to receive the spring-pocket. The particular location in each case will largely depend upon the particular style of truck to which the invention is applied, the fancy of the builder, or the necessity for avoiding conflict with the brakerigging or other adjuncts of the particular truck, nor do I wish to limit myself in other respects to the particular embodiment of the invention which I have herein shown and described, as various mechanical changes may be made without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a car-truck, and a spring arranged to oppose its resistance to vertical movement, of an axle of said truck, of a nut or follower arranged to act on said spring, a screw engaging said nut to effect longitudinal movement thereof toward and away from the said spring,and means whereby said screw is actuated by radial movement of the truck.

2. The combination with a car-truck, and a spring arranged to oppose its resistance to vertical movement of an axle of said truck, of a nut or follower against which one end of said spring is seated, a rod or shaft having a screwthread engaging said nut or follower, means for preventing rotary movement of the nut or follower, a pinion on said rod or shaft and segment-gears secured to the car-body and engaging the said pinions.

The combination with a car-truck, and a spring arranged to oppose its resistance to vertical movement of an axle of said truck, of a nut or follower against which one end of said spring is seated, a rod or shaft having ascrewthread engaging said nut or follower, a pinion on said shaft and segment-gears secured to the car-body and engaging the said pinion, together with means for retaining the engagement of said gears and pinions under changes in the vertical relation of the car body and truck.

4. The combination with a truckframe having a spring-pocket secured thereto and provided with vertical grooves in its walls, a spring seated against the bottom of said pocket, a nut seated in said pocket against the opposite end of said spring and having projections engaging said grooves, a rod or shaft having a thread engaging said nut and also carrying a pinion, and segment-gears secured to the car-body and engaging opposite sides of the said pinion.

5. The combination with a car-truck of the character described, and with the car-body, of a spring-pocket pivotally secured to the truck-frame, a spring seated in said pocket, a nut bearing against the said spring, means for preventing rotation of-the said nut, a rod or shaft having a threadwhich engages the said nut, a pinion on the said rod or shaft, segment-gears on the car-body engaging the said pinion, and a guide-bearing for the upper end of said rod or shaft.

6. The combination with a car-truck and a IIO held against rotary movement, a shaft for actuating said nut, a pinion on the said shaft, and segment-gears engaging opposite sides of 15 ciprocating movement thereto, a pinion on the said pinion and having normally the centhe said rod, segment-gears secured to the ter lines of their first teeth coinciding with car-body, of a spring bearing on the truekear-body, and engaging the said pinion, a l the center lines of said pinion.

frame, a nut bearing on the said spring 2t rod or shaft engaging the said nut to impart reswiveied antif1'ietion-\ vhee1 at the upper end In testimony whereof I have affixed my sigof said rod, and a guide-plate for said wheel nature in presence of two Witnesses.

on the ear-body. E. G. NICEW'ANER.

7. The combination with a oar-truck and a ear-body, of a spring bearing on the truckframe, a nut bearing on the said spring and \Vitnesses:

B. M. SMITH, H. \V. SMITH. 

